Crocker to be an assistant for Lions baseball and football

The De Queen coaching staff will have a much different look for the 2019-20 school year. There will be three new faces and many familiar faces in new places.

UA-Cossatot will begin varsity athletics with men’s and women’s basketball next November. New coach Brad Phillips’ love of the game has carried him from the hills of Arkansas to the plains of Kansas to the swamps of south Mississippi and back to his native state on the opposite corner.

The new Lady Leopards basketball coach comes to De Queen from the west. Lance Weeks has a long pedigree of coaching in Oklahoma.

Ashley Dykes of De Queen has been named to the 2019 Arkansas Track and Field All Academic Team. Selection to the team requires a minimum score of 25 on the ACT and a minimum 3.5 GPA.

Ashley and Abby Dykes of De Queen have committed to being part of the first basketball team at Texas A&M University at Texarkana. The school, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, is preparing for its initial season on the court. Abby, left, and Ashley are pi…

Three De Queen softball players have been selected to play in summer all-star games.

Sixty area baseball players showed up for the 2019 Leopard Baseball Camps, which were held June 5 and June 7 at Leopard Field. Campers took part in drills covering all aspects of the game and were instructed by current players and coaches of the Leopard baseball program.

“Every time I go anywhere, people say I’ve got big shoes to fill,” said Stephen Sprick.

One Horatio baseball player was named all-state and six all-conference.

Awards for the 2018-19 school year were presented at the annual end of the year De Queen sports banquet.

This year's De Queen/Sevier County Tri-Lakes Big Bass Tournament drew in 326 entries from Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. The event promotes tourism in our community and creates revenue for our local retailers, our campgrounds, lodging, and restaurants.

The 1st Annual UA Cossatot Youth Basketball Camp for boys and girl’s grades first through seventh will be held on June 17-19.

Tyson Foods supported the 2018/19 Cossatot River girls softball team. Pictured is former CRHS assistant coach and Tyson Foods, Grannis Plant Supervisor Keven Hill, presenting a $300 check to Coach Tyler Timms of Cossatot River High School. 

Erik Smith has been hired as UA Cossatot’s new soccer coach, as the college gears up for the 2019-2020 soccer season. Home games and practices will take place at the Herman Dierks Park in De Queen and tryouts for both the men and women’s teams will be announced very soon.  

O is for offense and optimism as well. Both apply to Horatio’s recently completed spring football drills.

Athletic conferences for the 2020-2022 cycle will soon be announced by the Arkansas Activities Association. Based on the attendance figures recorded over the last school year, little should change for De Queen and Horatio.

Trevor Blankenship of Horatio High School signs a letter of intent for the cheer squad at Henderson State University. Pictured with the signee are, from left: (front) HSU cheer coach Rick Reboller, Horatio cheer coach Jeana Ford, Blankenship, his mother Melissa Patrick; (back) grandmother Sh…

Malik Beasley signs a letter of intent to participate in track and field at the University of Central Arkansas. Beasley won both the shot put and discus at the 7AAAA conference meet this season. Also pictured are De Queen head track coach Jonathan Lindsey, left, and head football coach Steph…

FAYETTEVILLE — De Queen competitors finished in the middle of the pack at the annual Arkansas high school decathlon and heptathlon in Fayetteville May 15-16.

A coaching vacancy was filled by the Horatio School Board at its May 20 meeting.

BATESVILLE — The Lady Leopards went 1-1 at the class AAAA soccer tournament at Batesville.

BATESVILLE — The De Queen boys soccer team went out of the class AAAA state tournament in the second round with a 4-2 loss to Valley View.

PEARCY — Hector Hernandez of De Queen won his event at the Meet of Champs May 11 at Lake Hamilton and set a school record in the process.

The 2019 Leopard baseball camp will be held June 5-6 at Leopard Field.

MOUNTAIN HOME — Horatio went out of the class AA state baseball tournament in the semi-final.

PARKERS CHAPEL —Horatio finished fourth in the Class AA South Region tournament at Parkers Chapel. The Lions fell to Woodlawn 10-3 in the May 4 third place game.

The De Queen boys team finished third in the class 4A track meet at Batesville April 29. Three of the top 10 teams were from 7AAAA . To the surprise of no one, Magnolia took the title. 

MAGNOLIA – Monday was not De Queen’s day at finals of the much delayed 4A South regional softball tournament. The Lady Leopards fell to Bauxite 7-3 in a game where little went right.

After coming so close so many times, Lexy Taylor pitched a no-hitter as De Queen’s softball team downed Murfreesboro 10-0 April 28 in a warm up for the regional tournament.

PARKERS CHAPEL — Errors proved costly to Horatio in the finals of the AA South region tournament at Parkers Chapel. The Lady Lions fell to the host team 5-3.

ARKADELPHIA — The Leopards won a title and a runner-up award at the at the AAAA South soccer tournament at Arkadelphia May 4.

McKenna Caudle signed her letter of intent to rodeo for Southern Arkansas University's rodeo team, April 30 at De Queen High School.

UA Cossatot is making plans and preparations for basketball season as Coach Brad Phillips begins selecting team players. On Saturday, May 4, the college will be holding men and women’s basketball tryouts at the UA Cossatot Historic Bank of Lockesburg Gymnasium. Women’s basketball tryouts wil…

DIERKS —The Lady Lions won the conference softball tournament by beating Murfreesboro 6-3 in the April 26 final.

DIERKS — It was one more title for departing coach Lance Spigner. Horatio did not give up a run in winning yet another conference tournament.

With the conference meet drawing ever closer, the De Queen senior track teams ran at Nashville’s Coca Cola Relays.

It was the second straight one-hitter for Lexy Taylor as the De Queen softball team topped visiting Malvern 6-0 April 16.

VANDERVOORT — Horatio hammered Cossatot River to clinch the conference baseball title April 16. The final was 19-1.

FORT SMITH — The De Queen senior high track teams stepped up in competition in their final meet before the 7AAAA conference clash.

MENA – The De Queen girls were first and the boys second in the 7AAAA Junior High track meet April 15 at Mena.

Horatio downed visiting Murfreesboro 8-1 behind the three hit pitching of Dakota Frachiseur on Senior Day April 12.

The Lady Leopards moved into a tie for first place in the 7AAAA softball standings with a 2-1 win over Nashville April 9. Both teams now have one conference loss.

The De Queen soccer teams played three games in one week.

De Queen baseball player, Mack Carver, signs a letter of intent with Ecclesia College in Springdale. With the signee are parents Brandi and Shane Carver.

The De Queen/Sevier County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce it will once again be hosting the Annual Tri-Lakes Big Bass Festival. This year marks the 30th tournament. It is always the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and it is a great kickoff to the summer. 

One record was set at the first senior high track meet held in De Queen in two years. Last year’s home schedule was literally washed away when a resurfacing project that started in January was not finished until May due to persistent rains.

For the second straight spring De Queen High School is without a senior girls basketball coach.

The baseball Leopards suffered multiple self inflicted wounds in an 11-5 loss to visiting Bauxite April 2. Four De Queen errors allowed the Miners four unearned runs.